Toyama, the city of sushi, medicine and glass. Great attention from all over the world
Category: Food&Drink Goods Sightseeing
Toyama Prefecture is one of the three Hokuriku prefectures. Toyama is home to Toyama Bay, where fresh seafood is caught, and is surrounded by 3,000-meter-high peaks, making it an attractive place to enjoy natural scenery. Toyama City was featured as the 30th place on the New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2025,” published in January of this year, attracting attention from all over the world. This article introduces the history, recommended sightseeing spots, souvenirs, and gourmet food in and around Toyama City.
What kind of city is Toyama City?
Toyama Prefecture is located in the north central part of Honshu, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan. Toyama City, the prefectural capital, is located in the central to southeastern part of Toyama Prefecture. The northern part of the city is divided into a plain facing Toyama Bay and the southern part is divided into mountainous areas including the Tateyama mountain range with 3,000 meter-high mountains.
Surrounded by nature with the sea, mountains, and rivers, agriculture and fishing are flourishing in the city.
© Toyama Tourism Organization
Toyama Bay, the deepest bay on the Japan Sea side at over 1,000 meters, is home to 500 of the 800 species of fish found in the Sea of Japan and is called a “nature’s fish tank.” For this reason, there are many sushi restaurants in Toyama City, and the “Toyama Bay Sushi” brand, which uses fresh local fish as its ingredients, is very popular.
Furthermore, the city also has the image of being a “city of medicine and glass,” each of which has a long history and tradition. The Toyama City Museum of Glass Art is also a popular sightseeing spot.
History of Toyama
Beginning of Toyama
1,300 years ago, the Hokuriku region of Toyama, Fukui, Ishikawa, and Niigata was called “Koshinokuni.”
At the end of the 7th century, the region was divided into three provinces: Echizen, Etchu, and Echigo, and the provincial government of Etchu was established in Fushiki, Takaoka City in present-day Toyama Prefecture. In 757, the Noto region was divided from Echigoku, and Echu became the same area as today’s Toyama Prefecture.
After the Warring States Period (1471-1580), during which fierce battles between warriors were waged, the warlord Sassa Narimasa unified Etchu. Later, it became the domain of the Maeda clan of the Kaga domain, and in 1639, the “Toyama domain” was established as a branch of the Kaga domain.
Then, in 1871 during the Meiji Era, the former Toyama Domain became Toyama Prefecture and the former Kaga Domain became Kanazawa Prefecture. Subsequently, the movement for the division of prefectures, which acted to change the way the prefectures were divided, took place, and in May 1883, Toyama Prefecture became the current “Toyama Prefecture.”
Toyama, City of Medicine
Toyama Prefecture ranks first in Japan in pharmaceutical production per capita. The image of “Toyama’s pharmaceuticals” spread throughout Japan more than 300 years ago during the Edo period (1603-1868). When Masatoshi Maeda, the second lord of the Toyama Domain, visited Edo Castle (Tokyo), he gave “Hangontan,” a stomach medicine made in Toyama, to a feudal lord (a samurai with a large territory) who was suffering from a stomachache. As a result, they recovered remarkably well, and the “Edo Castle stomachache incident” made the name of “Ecchu-Toyama’s medicine” known throughout the country!
The “Toyama Baiyaku (Medicine Seller)” system, which began with this incident, is a system in which Toyama drug peddlers leave medicines at homes across the country and receive payment for the amount used on their next visit. Today, it is still a traditional industry, visiting every corner of the country from Toyama Prefecture as a medicine distribution business.
Glass Crafts Developed from Pharmaceuticals in Toyama
“Toyama glass” is closely related to “Medicine of Toyama.” During the Meiji and Taisho periods (1868-1926), Toyama was actively engaged in the manufacture of glass “medicine bottles” to hold medicines, and boasted the largest market share in Japan.
© Toyama Tourism Organization
The glass industry subsequently declined, but with the opening of the glass art course at Toyama Citizen’s College in 1985, a glass art school and glass studio were established, and efforts were made to foster glass artists and pass on glass culture. As the culmination of these efforts, the Toyama City Museum of Glass Art opened in 2015. In 2019, Toyama Iconic, a brand created by glass artists working in Toyama, will be born, and Toyama City Glass Art Museum will be established to promote Toyama as a “City of Glass” to the world.
Places to visit in Toyama City
Toyama Castle
The castle was built in 1543 by Jimbo Nagamoto, a feudal lord who ruled the western part of Etchu. It is said that the castle later became the residence of warlord Sassa Narimasa and the Maeda family of the Toyama Domain. The current castle is a mock-up built in 1954, but you can feel the history of those days through the moat and stonewalls. Toyama Joshi Park surrounding the castle is popular as a cherry blossom viewing spot where visitors can see cherry blossoms (Sakura) in full bloom in spring.
Matsukawa River Cruises
© Toyama Tourism Organization
For more than 30 years, a sightseeing boat has been operating on the Matsukawa River, which runs beside Toyama Castle Ruins Park. The cruise is a 30-minute historical cruise guided by the unique captains of the boats, and visitors can leisurely enjoy the beautiful scenery of the four seasons, including a tunnel of cherry blossoms in early April, fresh greenery in early summer, and autumn leaves in fall.
Toyama Glass Art Museum
Toyama City’s representative art museum, where visitors can experience one of the world’s leading glass cities. Located in the “Toyama Kirari” complex designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the exterior of the museum is reminiscent of the Tateyama mountain range. In addition to permanent exhibitions of contemporary glass art from Japan and abroad, various special exhibitions are held, allowing visitors to enjoy the world of glass to the fullest. The museum also has a Japanese-style café and museum store.
Hie Shrine
Located in the center of Toyama City, Hie Shrine is nicknamed “Sanno-san.”The shrine is blessed with many merits such as love fulfillment, marriage, work luck, and safety, and attracts many worshippers from within and outside of the prefecture for the New Year’s New Year’s visit. Many events are held throughout the year, including the Setsubun Festival in February, the Spring Festival in June, and the Shichigosan Festival in November.
Festivals and events representing Toyama
In Toyama, various festivals and events are held in each region. Here are some representative festivals.
Sanno Festival (Sanno Matsuri)
The Spring Festival is held every year on June 1 and 2 at Hie Shrine, introduced in the Recommended Spots section. Hundreds of stalls line the streets and about 200,000 people gather for this major event in Toyama Prefecture.
Highlights include the powerful lion dance and portable shrine procession. It is also recommended to try Sanno-san’s specialty, gourmet “anbayashi” (konnyaku on a skewer with miso paste).
Owara Kaze no Bon Festival
© Toyama Tourism Organization
Held every year from September 1 to 3, it is a typical autumnal event in Toyama. Men and women wearing braided hats walk around, dancing to the melancholy sounds of shamisen, kokyu (Japanese violin), and taiko (Japanese drums), and to the accompaniment of tasteful songs. The attraction of this festival is that you can enjoy the traditional dance that has continued for 300 years, along with the fantastic atmosphere created by the Bonbori lanterns that light up the town.
Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival
© Toyama Tourism Organization
Etchu Yatsuo Hikiyama Festival is a spring festival held every year on May 3 in the Yatsuo area of Toyama City.It is a traditional event that has been handed down for more than 300 years. It is said that the townspeople of Yatsuo, which prospered as the financial storehouse of the Toyama Domain, put out a gorgeous and gorgeous Hikiyama (a display used in the festival) as a demonstration of their financial power.
Even today, the town is enveloped in a lively festive mood as the gorgeous floats, delicately carved and painted, parade around the town. At night, the floats are lit by thousands of lanterns, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
Recommended Souvenirs
Toyama Glass
Image courtesy of Toyama City Tourism Association
Originating from Toyama’s medicine sellers, glass medicine bottles were actively manufactured during the Meiji and Taisho periods (1868-1926) and held the largest market share in Japan. Today, glass crafts are still a specialty of Toyama Prefecture. Visitors can obtain works by unique glass artists active in Toyama, and can also experience glassworking at a glass studio.
Toyama Clay Doll
*The image is for reference only.
Toyama Tsuchi Ningyo (Clay Dolls), characterized by their rounded shapes and richly colored paintings, are said to have originated in 1848-54, when Toshiyasu Maeda, the 10th lord of Toyama, invited a potter to Toyama and had him bake clay dolls while making pottery. In addition to a wide variety of clay dolls, such as lion dances and beckoning cats, “Dakibina” hina dolls are made for the Peach Festival on March 3. Since each doll is made by hand, each doll has a different expression depending on how it is painted, so visitors are encouraged to find their favorites.
Toyama Medicines
© Toyama Tourism Organization
Toyama is also known as the “City of Medicine,” and medicines are popular as souvenirs. The “Hangontan” gastrointestinal medicine, which helped spread Toyama’s medicines throughout the country, and other retro packaged sachets of medicine are sold. These are portable types that can be used for illnesses while traveling, so be sure to pick some up.
Local Gourmet in Toyama
Toyama Bay Sushi
© Toyama Tourism Organization
Toyama Bay Sushi, a Toyama Prefecture brand dish, is a set of 10 pieces of sushi made with seasonal local fish caught in Toyama Bay and rice rice produced in Toyama Prefecture. The appeal of this dish is that you can enjoy more than 100 different kinds of ingredients throughout the year, including firefly squid and white shrimp in spring and summer, red snow crab in autumn, and cold yellowtail and kingfish in winter. It is offered at 18 restaurants in Toyama City, so be sure to try the finest sushi.
Toyama White Shrimp
© Toyama Tourism Organization
The clear pink white shrimp is called “the jewel of Toyama Bay.” It is a very rare shrimp that is landed only in Toyama, the only place in the world where it is caught. Sashimi of white shrimp peeled from its shell, which is only 6 cm in length, is exquisite with its unique texture and rich sweetness! You can also enjoy eating white shrimp in a variety of other ways, such as “fried white shrimp” or “fuku dango,” which is made from 200 white shrimp in one dumpling. In addition, there are also white shrimp crackers, potato chips, and other snacks that make great souvenirs.
Toyama Black Ramen
© Toyama Tourism Organization
As the name suggests, Toyama Black Ramen is characterized by its pitch-black broth of dark soy sauce; it is said to have originated in Toyama City more than 60 years ago as a salt supplement for sweating manual laborers, resulting in this highly flavored soy sauce ramen. The shockingly attractive and salty soup is addictive and is recommended to be served with rice. A five-time winner at one of Japan’s largest ramen events, it is a must-try B-class gourmet (cheap, tasty, and popular food) in Toyama.
Please visit Toyama, which still has a lot to offer!
Toyama is surrounded by rich nature and has a unique culture and history. In addition to the spots, souvenirs, and gourmet foods introduced here, there are many other fascinating contents in Toyama. Toyama is only about 2 hours and 5 minutes from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen, and about 2 hours and 35 minutes from Osaka by limited express and Hokuriku Shinkansen. Please visit Toyama Prefecture, which has attracted the attention of some of the world’s leading media.
